Zenon Konopka only made 600,000.00 last season great on face offs and can play a regular shift and not a liability. Prust and Zenon would be a great start to a 4th line.
Eric Boulton a Ranger killer and a guy who can throw down with anyone and pops in a few goals here and there only made 650,000.00
Rick Rypien great team guy coming back from some issues. He is a solid 4th line guy and doesn't make much money 550,000.00
Steve MacIntyre a true monster but not a player at all.
John Erskine a solid number 6 dman and would fill the enforcer role also. makes a little more money 1.25 million
i'm pretty cool with no 4th liners being brought in actually. Sather is a dummy so yea he may get a tough guy but if so it better be for the minimum or a two way deal.
Konopka would be nice but he will likely stay in Long Island
Erskine makes sense as a reliable Dman for Del Zotto but who knows if they have the space
4th line is where we should be breaking new talent in at EL contracts. If we cant even draft 4th liners,then we need new scouts. This is where guys like McNaught are supposed to be playing. I don't know if he's ready but I'd rather platoon audition a bunch of young guys than bring in an older guy like Boulton. Besides, I think it's exciting to watch a young guy make his bones as opposed to an older one hang on to what he has. They're all decent suggestions, and we do need someone. If Konopka would even take our call, then I don't want him anyway. I'm done with guys who will cross hated rival lines for money.
I'm sorry but I'm sick of the 4th line goons that people think we "must" have to add more toughness. This team was pretty gutsy without that pretty much all season since Boogard was out for the majority of it. You want to bring in a guy like Prust, fine, but I dont see many out there that are like him. Let the kids play. Dont give a roster spot away to some goon. I dont care if it means letting Weise get the 4th line spot. I want guys who can actually play the game of hockey. We dont need guys who cant skate, are slow, not good defensively, and thus take stupid penalties.
I'm sorry but I'm sick of the 4th line goons that people think we "must" have to add more toughness. This team was pretty gutsy without that pretty much all season since Boogard was out for the majority of it. You want to bring in a guy like Prust, fine, but I dont see many out there that are like him. Let the kids play. Dont give a roster spot away to some goon. I dont care if it means letting Weise get the 4th line spot. I want guys who can actually play the game of hockey. We dont need guys who cant skate, are slow, not good defensively, and thus take stupid penalties.
That way you have a bottom 6 that's useful. Cally, Dubi, Prust and Boyle bring toughness. Boyle isn't a teddy bear even if he doesn't dominate people often. Considering Staal can dish out filthy hits and Sauer is a nasty mother****er that's plenty of team toughness. Avery and Feds bring grit too.
Remind me why we need more 4th liners? Boyle and prust are 4th liners, hagelin could fit in nicely next to them as could grachev, and the whale is stocked with 4th line role players. We don't need to throw money at another 4th liner ala' brashear n boogaard
How about building a contender from the top line down and not worrying about whose going to play 6 minutes a game.
If we sign konopka I would move Boyle to first line LW with richards and gabby and see what he could do. My ideal team next year looks like this (assuming Kreider doesn't sign)
If we sign konopka I would move Boyle to first line LW with richards and gabby and see what he could do. My ideal team next year looks like this (assuming Kreider doesn't sign)
Your ideal Stanley cup contender has Boyle at first line lw , he had a good season but the chances he puts up the same numbers are slim and he doesn't not fit well with Richards and gaborik.let's not kid ourselves hes a bottom 6 guy he belongs with prust on the fourth line.
Only grinders I'd consider are Joel Ward and Thomas Fleischmanwho are not quite 4th liners but otherwise pass; one of Hagelin, Grachev, Borque, Weise or Horak will be more than capable of playing 4th line minutes at the very least.
, he had a good season but the chances he puts up the same numbers are slim and he doesn't not fit well with Richards and gaborik.let's not kid ourselves hes a bottom 6 guy he belongs with prust on the fourth line.
